Urban Legends
by tocks
Summary: We’ve all heard about alligators in the sewers, but things have just hit a little closer to home.
1. Urban Legends x1

Name: Urban Legends  
  
Author: Take a wild guess =D It's all me.  
  
Summary: A quiet New York City community is hit by a wave of uncanny rodent killings, which, soon enough, lead to larger problems. Special Agents Mulder and Scully take up the case, and are quick to find out rush hour traffic is the least of one's worries in the big city.  
  
Setting: Set around the beginning of season 6, somewhere between the time span from "Dreamland II" and "Terms of Endearment." I hop around dates, to keep with the season's episodes ["How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" will have happened. I'm that good.]  
  
Category: Suspense, Mystery and Drama? Sci-Fi too; after all, this is an X- Files fic. And some Horror. Dang it. Can't pick just one category -Cough- Some MSR hinted at. Nothing too fluffy, because I'm a sucker for mushy sappiness, and I want to keep serious while writing this =) But of course, being set after the movie and all, there's no way around it. And we wouldn't have it any other way. I'd say it's more of M/S UST. Teehee. Leave it to me to turn such a simple, few-word answer into a complicated deal.  
  
Rating: PG-13? I dunno. I'm 16, and nothing in this work surpasses me, but I'm an odd person, so I'm not sure of how ratings are taken into effect and all, but. I know I have a point, and I'm going to make it some time soon, yew just wait =) Yes. PG-13 should cover it, with some moments of rated-R scenes for violence and language. I'm done now.  
  
Spoilers: Spoilers for any XF is fair game [there will be a warning before a chapter if a specific episode is referred to.]  
  
Disclaimer: Any X-Files characters yew can point at and scream 'I know yew!' aren't mine =) I'm just abducting them from the aliens for a few hours of my lazy life to pour them into my mindless storylines in order to liven things up in my boring old day. Anyone who doesn't mean a rat's butt to yew is probably a figment of my imagination, thanks =) Don't sue. I will not give up my only possession [my golden retriever doggie] for anything! Well maybe for mass amounts of cheese. Chocolate is good too. As is coke. And then there's...  
  
Archive: If yew find the story worth it, please feel free. Might wanna wait until I see if it's liked and I finish it. Then just drop me a buzz at shadowkam@aol.com and I'll send ya a full copy!  
  
A/N: Right then. Hey folks! Me again [that is, if you've read my "debut" X- Files story, Endless Nights. If not, then a) go read it and b) hi :) I'm DK.] Well now. I've finally found the time to start posting this story. See, I started writing this even before I began Endless Nights, but I kinda wanted to get the whole story, or at least a few chapters, written before I began posting. Well, at my rate, I'll have the story done by next year if I'm lucky. So, I figured I might as well start posting, cuz reviews always knock some sense into me and remind me to go and, well, write.  
  
Before I let you go, let me share a little background information. The plot and setting of this story is somewhat from experience. I use to live in the building complex which is featured in my story, and I use to have many interesting adventures with my best friend in the underground garage. I have always been fascinated with monster tales and ghost stories, and I am a true believe of "strange" and unexplained things. This story is, of course, fiction. But, you never know.  
  
Other then that, I really don't have many comments as of yet. This chapter basically sets the mood for the story. Things are gonna start out slow and steady, and eventually speed up as the plot get deeper. This is going to be a long fic - about 12 chapters at least. So if ya get into it, be ready for quite a wait between chapters (at least two weeks.) Read and review as always! I love feedback =) And without further a due, here's Urban Legends, Chapter 1!  
  
- - - - - -  
  
December 8  
  
Park City Estates Lot Queens, New York  
  
It was another late, wintry night and the atmosphere, brisk and oddly unnerving, was thick with tension.  
  
Sixteen year old Elizabeth Morris sighed deeply; her wary gaze following the misty swirls of vapor air that resulting from her breath touching the near-freezing air.  
  
She had been waiting in the shadows outside her building's garage entrance for nearly an hour, accompanied only by the sound of the chilling December wind brushing the bare trees overhead.  
  
Every so often, she would see another random soul walking along the street, eerily highlighted by the dim yellow streetlights. But the past few minutes, the block had been completely lifeless, and that brought a chill up and down Elizabeth's spine.  
  
After all, this was New York. And there was always someone outside; either running home late from a long day at the office, or rushing to attend a nightshift job, or even those unfortunate beings that simply had nowhere to go at this hour, and resorted to prowling the streets in search of an escape.  
  
Thoroughly trapped in this random train of thought, the young girl had barely noticed four other figures walking up behind her, until a low "Hello Clarice" was whispered in her ear, causing Elizabeth to scream and turn around in time to observe her boyfriend, Keith, along with her best friend, Brooke, erupting into laughter at her reaction, while a common classmate of theirs - Edward-something, if she recalled correctly - was standing silently to the side.  
  
"Keith Huntington, you jerk! That wasn't funny!" She had to wait a few moments for the two teens to calm down and regain control of their breathing.  
  
"Ohhh, really now? Well, the look on your face was funny enough from this angle, Liz." Brooke, a thin-framed blonde, grinned sheepishly, the last traces of her hysterical laughing fit lingered to a look of playful mock, while Keith came in closer to plant a reassuring kiss on his girlfriend's forehead, before giving her a pricelessly apologetic grin.  
  
Before Elizabeth had a chance to scowl further, just for the joy it brought her to make Keith feel guilty, she noticed a much smaller figure come out from behind Edward - who was still standing a few feet to the side, seemingly nervous.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
"Oh yeah. I had to-"  
  
"I can't believe this! What the hell are we suppose to do with her?" Elizabeth stepped away from the sandy-haired boy that had stolen her heart a few months ago, not the least bit fazed by his attempted interruption. Keith sighed and tried to explain yet again.  
  
"It's not my fault. The brat was up watching a stupid science fiction movie marathon and she said she'd wake up my grandma unless I let her come. There was nothing I could do, Liz." The boy's watery blue eyes glared murderously at his 9-year old sister, who merely grinned and stood her ground beside Edward.  
  
"There is no way she's coming."  
  
"We can't leave her out here, Lizzy." Brooke took the jump into the heated argument, keeping her voice low. It was passing midnight now, and all they needed was for one of the community residents to wake up and call security on them. "Emma promised she'd be a good girl and behave if we allowed her to tag along. Isn't that right, Em-honey?" With a careless shrug followed by a nod from younger child, Brooke went on. "Everything's still going according to plan. We just have - an additional groupie."  
  
"No way. We are not doing this. It's too risky."  
  
"Don't be like that." Keith leaned in.  
  
"I'm tired and it's freezing cold. Plus it's getting really late. Let's just call it off."  
  
"I have to agree, you guys."  
  
Everyone stopped and looked dead on at Edward, who, for the first time the past 15 minutes, had voiced his opinion. Of course, now was not a good time.  
  
"Shut up, Eddy. No one asked you. Liz; we came all the way out here-"  
  
"No. I don't feel like doing this now. You do whatever you want but I'm out. Good night." Her mind made up, Elizabeth shook her head and shot the group a frustrated look before turning around and walking off towards her building without so much as a glance back.  
  
A few seconds of silence passed, then-  
  
"I guess I'll be going now." Edward attempted to slip out with that, but a strong male hand grasped his shoulder before he could move much further.  
  
"Hang on a second, Eddy-Boy. You agreed to come; you're staying. Forget Liz. She'll be sorry she missed out."  
  
The authoritative sandy-haired boy nodded to Brooke, who returned the gesture and strolled over to the brick wall beside them, extracting a small key from her coat pocket and slipping it into a boxlike structure that emerged from the wall. With an almost unheard 'click,' the rusty automatic garage door started painfully creaking open.  
  
The three teenagers, along with the younger girl who was now anxiously holding her brother's hand, slipped into the silent underground lot and made their way towards the restricted section as the doors slid closed.  
  
Soft drips of water echoed through the large, low-ceiling area while two swamp-green eyes lingered behind the shadows of a parked Jeep; the fresh remains of what was once a rather large rat lay motionless on the ground.  
  
As night progressed, the desperate screams that tore through the still garage were met by the wind's chilling roar outside.  
  
Overhead, hundreds of people slept blissfully and unknowing...  
  
- - - - - -  
  
A/N: Hee. This is where I remind yew to review =D Tell me if ya think this story is worth hearing, because I'm not even one-third the way through typing it and if there's no response I can easily just stop. Next chapter is when Mulder and Scully come in, and if ya'll wanna get there, better gimme something to go on. I just have some more details to add and a proofread to do and I'll be ready to post Chapter 2 in a few days. But, only if yew want it! -DKers 


	2. Urban Legends x2

Spoilers: This contains a reference to Teso Dos Bishos [3x18] so if ya haven't seen it, err, just be aware. It's that eppy with the evil cats for anyone who is brain-dead at the moment =)  
  
A/N: Just a few things. First off, thanks for the reviews! I think this is a great start for the story and I hope it gets fairly popular. I completed my first posted X-Files fic, Endless Nights, last week, and I urge anyone here who hasn't read it, to go do so. I've set a goal of 45 reviews for it, so I only need 3 more and I'll be happy =D And, I think that's all I needed to say! Read on now.  
  
- - - - - -  
  
One Week Later  
  
FBI Headquarters Washington D.C.  
  
The usually lively office halls were running slow this Tuesday, noted Special Agent Fox Mulder as he strolled off the elevator and made his way down the brightly lit corridor. He shuffled what appeared to be a thick, yellow folder from one hand to the other, rounding a corner and smiling as his FBI partner fell into his line of view.  
  
"Just the person I was looking for."  
  
Agent Dana Scully looked up from a seemingly captivating science magazine and rose from the metal framed chair she'd claimed minutes before, only to greet the overexcited man with an upraised brow.  
  
"Oh come on. Don't give me the look. I just *know* you're itching to find out what I've got."  
  
"Yes Mulder. Seeing as you dragged me out of my Christmas shopping plans for the day, and ordered me to come down here at," looking up at one of the round office clocks, Scully continued, "6:30 in the morning, this had better be good."  
  
"Aww. What's the matter? Less then two shopping weeks 'til Christmas and the G-Women's panicking?"  
  
Another eyebrow shot up, and Mulder eased his teasing grin to a friendly smile.  
  
"Take a look at these."  
  
He handed over a file, which Scully flipped through silently. A moment passed.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
"Exactly what it looks like, Scully."  
  
"So let me get this straight. You dragged me out here at the crack of dawn and spoiled my day's events so I can look at a dozen decapitated rodent carcasses caught on camera? What are you getting at here? A rat exterminator gone wild?"  
  
Although frustrated, she could not keep the amused mock in her voice from showing. Mulder either missed it, or chose to ignore it.  
  
The air was suddenly tense, and she knew there was more to this case then she'd been shown.  
  
"That's just how it started." Her partner produced another file from seemingly nowhere, not rushing into passing it along.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
A hint of pain flash in her partner's eyes, but it was gone within the millisecond.  
  
"Three teenagers, Brooke Parshall, Keith Huntington and Edward Kerr, all age 16, were found dead in the underground parking lot of a city-owned building complex in Queens, New York, at around 7 AM last Wednesday. All three supposedly dead fast; their bodies severely mutilated."  
  
"My god." The female agent whispered, taking a split second to gather herself before browsing the breathtaking shots of the murdered teens.  
  
"It says the probable time of death was around 1 AM that morning." Scully muttered half consciously.  
  
"Yeah. Seems they were out for some late night action. A security officer found their bodies in the restricted section of the parking lot."  
  
"Does the local PD have any leads as to who's responsible?"  
  
"No, and I believe the question is 'what's' responsible."  
  
That got Scully to look up and meet her partner's gaze with a strong stare.  
  
"Seriously Mulder. This seems like nothing more then some sick bastard's idea of a blowout. New York has a reputable crime rate. These kids were, simply put, at the wrong place, at the wrong time."  
  
"You know of a person capable of doing this to three healthy 16-year-olds?"  
  
Scully prepared herself for the twist in the case - the miniscule fact that had caught her partner's attention and mutated into something bigger in his mind.  
  
"The cause of death is thought to be severe bleeding for Brooke and Edward; bleeding from the furious slashes all over their bodies. The other boy, Keith, likely died when his windpipe collapsed once his head was torn off his neck."  
  
Mulder reached for the folder in the female agent's hands while talking on; shuffling the pictures until the one he needed was on top.  
  
"Two parallel 7-inch deep cylinder holes stand out from the other *teeth* marks over what's left of his head. The patterns of the cuts have the city police at a dead end. They were run through all known crime records and result show they aren't from any manmade tool. And the bite, it matches no known species of animal."  
  
Scully was surprised he could get all that out in a single breath.  
  
"What does the police propose then?"  
  
"As I said, the department is at a dead end. S'why we got called in."  
  
"Alright. What do *you* think these dumbfounding markings are, Mulder?"  
  
He offered a charming smile, for a moment things were normal. Then the reality of this sick case overtook the air again.  
  
"The flesh around the cuts is hardly touched, showing that something very sharp and hook-like is to blame. It's too wide for a knife or sword, so that rules out a man-caused homicide."  
  
"Are you getting to a point soon?" Scully leaned back against the wall, bringing a hand up to her mouth to muffle a yawn.  
  
"Claws, Scully. Typical feline claw markings. And the tooth prints, although not matched 100%, did closely resemble those of many modern big cats."  
  
Her expression remained unbiased.  
  
"Cats, Mulder? You think cats did this?"  
  
"Simply put, yes."  
  
"Right then. And you thought my idea was far-out."  
  
Silence. Scully sighed and continued.  
  
"I'm still not seeing what you're getting at, Mulder. Are we thinking another tribal curse at work here? Local strays going murderous on these children because they disturbed something sacred that night?"  
  
Her partner seemed to ponder the notion before shaking his head. "The evidence supports the fact that it's an individual to blame, not a group. What did this wasn't just *any* cat. A common stray or even a wildcat couldn't have accounted for the damage caused. This was something much bigger. And the tooth prints are solid prove of the 'bigger' part of the deal."  
  
"How could anything like that wander into a community garage unnoticed? This is New York we're talking about, not some empty lot out in the country, Mulder."  
  
"Maybe whatever it is has been down there for a while. Maybe someone from the building was keeping it there."  
  
Scully opened her mouth to argue, but his theory was certainly possible enough. She looked down at the files again as Mulder continued to talk while digging through his coat pocket.  
  
"I had copies of the victim photographs and all the claw and teeth measurements faxed over to a Dr. Bridget Ashford in the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, and we have a meeting with her tomorrow evening to review the results." He found what he was looking for - a transparent airline folder with two tickets inside - and grinned. "We leave for New York in 3 hours, and I've arranged for us to go sweep through the crime scene before we settle in."  
  
Mulder sure planned ahead, Scully thought absentmindedly, already knowing her Christmas shopping would be delayed to the last minute.  
  
- - - - - -  
  
A/N: Alright. Next chapter is halfway done so don't expect it very soon. Then again, I am home for the next 3 days so I'll try my best to work on it =) Report cards go out next week, and if I get in trouble, I may not be allowed on for a week or two. I wouldn't worry too much though. Hardly anything can keep me offline, mwha. -Cough- Yea. Review and tell me how it's working out for ya'll. -DKers 


End file.
